


Nah, I Love You Anyway

by 5s Old Stuff (5557)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Galra Keith (Voltron), Happy Ending, M/M, One Shot, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-18
Updated: 2016-09-18
Packaged: 2018-08-15 14:43:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8060545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/5557/pseuds/5s%20Old%20Stuff
Summary: Who do you think would propose, Lance or Keith?





	

**Author's Note:**

> Update 26/05/18  
> Wuff. Still real, real bad.
> 
> Update 21/09/2017  
> This story is old. A year old, actually. Normally I would delete work that I'm just not happy with anymore, but I've decided to keep this here. It's poorly written and contains some problematic story elements, and I want to remind myself that I started out this way.
> 
> And I got better.
> 
> Nobody starts at the top. You start by writing garbage, and enjoying it, and then reflecting peacefully on why it's garbage. Garbage isn't a prison sentence, it's a process. You move through it. You work hard, you study up and you git gud. Then, every once in a while, you look back and see how far you've come as a writer. And you can be proud.
> 
> Write garbage. Figure out why it's garbage. Write better.
> 
> See you in another year.

Section 4… Section 5… They were getting closer. He was getting closer.

lance could hear the firefight behind him getting louder as Shiro and Hunk bought him more time to search the prison deck.  
lance bolted down hallway after hallway, a lurching feeling in his stomach passing by all the prisoners in their clear cells. He’d come back for them. For all of them.  
Down another twisting staircase lance was leaping over barriers and nearly twisted his ankle on a bad landing. He swore but kept on running, ignoring the sharp stabbing pain shooting up his leg.

Section 8.

The cells were heavier now, with heavily reinforced doors and walls, There were small panes to see in, but none of the prisoners bothered to look up at him. Lance wondered if they could see out.

“Pidge, where is he?”

“Section 9, solitary confinement. he should be in the last cell. Watch your back, Lance.”

Lance nodded to himself and hardened his expression. Almost there. One way or another they were all going to make it out alive. At last, Lance reached the bottom of the ship, the ceiling had dropped perilously low and while Lance cleared it, he felt waves of claustrophobic nausea creeping up on him. Down, down, further. End of the hall.  
Cell one-billion-and-who-cares.

Of course it would be guarded. Lance lept out of the way of their laser fire behind a heavily reinforced door frame. Apparently these guards shot first and asked questions later.  
Lance’s bayard surged to life in his hands and he ducked out to shoot the left guard. Pain burned through his arm as a lucky shot ripped through his armor and tore his skin open. Lance could smell his own burning flesh and it was all he could do to keep from screaming.

He could hear the other guard getting closer to him, his metal boots hitting the floor with an intimidating drum. Closer. Just a minute.

  
Lance whipped around the corner and shot without looking. He just opened fire in every direction. Laser fire sprayed everywhere and fortunately it hit his target before he had a chance to return fire.  
lance wasn’t exactly clean, but he was effective.

  
He dragged the guard’s hand up and unlocked the cell door. Finally. Yes. He was here. Keith was coming home.

  
Lance blinked, his eyes adjusting to the almost total darkness. There were shapes in here. A table. Straps. And in one corner, facing away from him, a curled up body.

  
“…Keith?”

  
The body shuddered, but didn’t turn to face him.

  
“Keith? Please let it be you. It’s Lance. I’m here. We’re getting out of here.”

  
Lance started to walk closer, a million emotions battling inside of him. He wanted to grab Keith and hold him tightly. He wanted to gently place his hand on him and ask what was wrong. He wanted to wrench him up and run because they were running out of time.

  
“Pidge, I think I found him! Tell Shiro and Hunk we’re coming?”

  
Lance’s helmet crackled to life “Roger that, Lance. Wait, what do you mean you think-”

  
“Don’t.”

  
The voice was ragged and small, but firm. It took lance by surprise.

  
“Hold ON, Pidge.”

  
“You should leave. You never should have come to rescue me.”

  
Lance knelt down and finally reached out to touch what he was sure was Keith. and he felt… hair?

  
Keith rolled over and Lance was met with yellow glowing eyes. Broken eyes. Keith’s skin was mottled tan and purple. Some of them were bruises, Lance could see, but the rest…

  
“I’m a monster, Lance. I always have been.”

  
Keith looked up at him with a pain that was beyond tears. beyond hope.

  
“NO!” lance shrieked, and grabbed Keith under his arms, hauling him up. “No. You’re Keith Kogane, and you’re my ultimate fucking rival and I love you more than anything!”

  
Keith flinched at the sudden movement and Lance realised he probably had many internal injuries. He held his lover more gently this time, drawing him close, burying his face in Keith's neck. Keith didn’t resist.  
“I love you. I love you in every way. They did shit to Shiro and we love him. I love you. I love you. I can’t… I love you.” Lance could say it now, and it was true. An iron fact in his mind that he didn't need to hide any longer. It had taken a universe worth of travel to realise it, but now that he knew, he wasn't going to just give up and let go.

  
Lance was sobbing into the nook in Keith’s neck, noting how the bone was too prominent, his ribs too apparent in his grasp. Keith did what he always did. he brought his fingers up and wiped lance’s hair out of his face, placing gentle kisses on his forehead.

  
“Lance…” Keith started, but didn’t know what to say. Suddenly, a low, thundering explosion shook the ship all the way to the bottom hull where they were.

  
“Lance, if you’re taking me back, we need to leave, now!”

  
Lance’s face shot up. He’d somehow managed to forget they were in the middle of a huge battle.

  
“Can you run with me?” lance asked, his tenderness taking even himself by surprise.

  
“A little. Let’s just see.” and Keith started off towards the doorway. Before Lance stopped him.

  
“Hey Keith!” Lance pulled out the red bayard and handed it to Keith. “Present for you.”

  
Keith smiled and felt the comforting grip once again his hand. He was back. He was Keith, no matter what.

  
And they were bolting down the hallway once again, covering each others' backs with a bond forged by war and love. Lasers fired and guards fell and the explosions were becoming more frequent now.

  
Section 7… Section 6…

  
Lance could see Keith now fighting with everything he had, and he knew they could die at any moment. Every hallway was death waiting. lance paused when Keith fumbled and needed to catch his breath.

  
“Keith.”

  
“What?”

  
“Marry me.”

  
“Now isn’t a good time, Lance.”

  
Another spray of plasma shot cleanly over their heads and Lance ducked out to provide cover fire.

  
“I know, I mean when we get back.”

  
“I’m a monster, Lance. I’m Galra. I’m one of them.”

  
Lance checked around the next corner. and turned back to pull Keith into a passionate kiss they definitely didn’t have time for. Lance’s heart was beating so fast, and Keith just existed for that moment. He’d kissed Lance for years now, but this one. This one was something.

  
“Keith, I’m gay for you. It’s not like we’re trying to have babies or anything.”

  
That was Lance. That was why he loved him.

  
“Yeah. Ok.” Keith smiled and activated his Bayard, ready for the final charge back to the castle.


End file.
